This article provides a theoretical and empirical argument in support of explicit language instruction. It proposes on theoretical grounds that certain features of a language are sufficiently complex and subtle that learners are unlikely to be able to decipher their full conceptual meaning on the basis of exposure alone. It further proposes that…

This complex article has six subsections. Following a brief introduction, one team of three co-authors and three single authors present compact statements of their distinctive individual research perspectives on second language acquisition and teaching (SLA/T): Atkinson, Mejía-Laguna, and Ribeiro offer a sociocognitive perspective; Cappellini…

Learner diversity has been identified as a barrier to language learning and teaching. The purpose of this article was to conduct an analysis of the implementation of Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory in the field of English language teaching. MI theory, as introduced by Howard Gardner (1983), offers a new concept of intelligence, one that has led…

Most second language writing studies have approached the L2 Writing phenomenon through the cognitive theoretical lens that situates writing as a mental activity that resembles psychological and mathematical problem-solving (Cumming, 2016, p. 69). "While research on second language writing has expanded exponentially in recent years, it has for…

While numerous studies of robot-assisted language learning (RALL) for English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners' language skill development have been done, a comprehensive and theoretically-driven meta-analysis on its effects is still in paucity. To fill the gap, drawing on Activity Theory (AT), this study reported a meta-analysis from 47…

In response to the evolving landscape of language education, the "Dynamic Language Learning Framework" is conceived as a progressive pedagogical approach informed by key principles from notable works in the field. Inspired by the communicative language teaching philosophy proposed by Hymes (1971) and expanded upon by Canale and Swain…

This book provides an overview and analysis of the role that classroom interaction plays in instructed second language acquisition. The authors synthesise current state-of-the-art research on how classroom interaction benefits L2 learning through the lens of three theoretical perspectives: cognitive-interactionist (with a focus on how…

Traditional approaches to language assessment have been criticized for their inadequacy in taking account of language learners' potential for development. To obviate this pitfall in traditional assessment, language teachers and researchers have been paying increasing attention to dynamic assessment (DA), which is rooted in Vygotsky's (1978)…

Our study examines the scaffolding strategies employed by secondary biology teachers to support multilingual learners (MLs) in engaging with Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs). Rooted in sociocultural theory, we focus on the integration of academic language in disciplinary practices. Data from video-recorded observations of 12 secondary…

In the initial sociocultural theory (SCT) timeline, Lantolf and Beckett (2009) surveyed a broad spectrum of research informed by sociocultural psychology as it was extended into the field of second language acquisition and language teaching. Since that time, the amount of research that has been published within the SCT framework has grown…

Explicit knowledge of language is posited as a core component of language teachers' professional knowledge, as it impacts on their classroom practice, cognition and professional reflection. In response to a sociocultural turn in teacher education, this paper presents a sociocultural rationale for the implementation of an explicit-inductive…

This article identifies and describes several different approaches to using game-mediated language learning (GML2), drawing in particular on Reinhardt and Sykes' (2012; 2014) framework and related literature. The article concludes with a brief discussion of potential applications to adult literacy and basic education settings and learners.

This study investigates the impact of perezhivanie, a concept encompassing emotional experiences and their personal significance on English-speaking proficiency and speaking anxiety among Chinese learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The study focuses on the emotional and cognitive dimensions of perezhivanie to understand its dual role…

The article presents a blended dialogic socio-constructivist pedagogy for language learning, emphasizing the importance of both individual and social aspects of learning. It argues that technology alone does not transform pedagogy; rather, it is the approach to technology that matters. The pedagogy combines personal freedom for reflection and…

The article reviews Digital Language Learning (DLL) research that has used principles and concepts of Sociocultural Theory (SCT) to support the research. We explain several key principles of the theory and shows how they have been misused or used in a superficial way in the DLL research. These include the assumption that SCT is a social rather…